Manage waste containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
How to destroy the POPs in waste and when you can recycle, recover or reuse waste containing POPs. How to apply to permanently store waste containing POPs.
Applies to England
Once you have identified POPs in waste you must follow this guidance on how to manage the waste. Under your waste duty of care you must make sure that the person you send your waste to has the correct authorisation.
Get the POPs material removed from the waste
You can send your waste to a suitably authorised treatment plant that can separate the items, components, or materials containing POPs from the other waste or materials. For example, to a site using density separation to reliably separate plastics containing brominated flame retardant POPs from other plastics.
The separated items, components, or materials containing the POPs must be destroyed.
POPs waste must not be mixed with other waste before or during separation.
Get the POPs content of your waste destroyed
You must send the waste to a suitably authorised disposal or recovery site that can do one of the following:
- completely destroy the POPs
- irreversibly transform the POPs
They must use one of the following methods:
- D9 – physico-chemical treatment, such as chemical destruction
- D10 – incineration on land
- R1 – using the waste as a fuel or other means to generate energy some other way (not for material containing PCBs)
- R4 – recycling or reclamation of metals and metal compounds, under the conditions set out in Annex V Part 1 of the POPs regulations
The appropriate method to use will be based on:
- the properties of the POP
- the type of waste containing the POP
- other chemicals or material present in the waste
Repackaging and storing waste containing POPs
You can only repackage or temporarily store POPs waste before:
- it is destroyed
- it is irreversibly transformed
- POPs items, components, or materials are separated
You must hold an authorisation that allows this activity.
Recycling waste containing POPs
You must not recycle or reuse any waste that contains POPs. The POPs must be destroyed.
To check if electrical and electronic equipment and upholstered domestic seating is waste, read the guidance:
- reusing waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and components removed from WEEE
- reusing upholstered domestic seating containing POPs
Recovering waste containing POPs
You can recover waste containing POPs where the recovery process destroys the POP. For example, incineration with energy recovery.
An operator can treat the waste to remove or separate materials that contain POPs from those that do not. They must destroy the POPs in the materials that contain them. They can recycle or recover the separated materials that do not contain POPs.
Reusing waste containing POPs
You must not reuse waste containing POPs. The POPs must be destroyed.
This means you cannot:
- turn the waste into a product for reuse
- remove materials or components containing POPs for reuse
You can remove materials or components that do not contain POPs for reuse.
To check if you can reuse electrical and electronic equipment and upholstered domestic seating, read the guidance:
- reusing WEEE and components removed from WEEE
- reusing waste upholstered domestic seating containing POPs
Apply to dispose of POPs waste by permanent storage
In exceptional cases a waste holder can apply for permission to permanently store some types of waste and hazardous waste that contain POPs. They can do this instead of destroying them.
To get approval, you must:
- provide information on the POP content of the waste
- explain where the waste will be permanently stored, and demonstrate that the site is authorised for permanent storage of POPs waste
- demonstrate that it is not feasible to decontaminate the waste
- demonstrate that permanent storage is environmentally preferable to destruction or irreversible transformation of the POP content
The Environment Agency will only give permission in exceptional circumstances and on a case by case basis. Email chemicalrestrictions@environment-agency.gov.uk if you want to discuss this option.
Where you can permanently store material
If the Environment Agency approves your application to store rather than destroy waste, you can store it at the following types of site that are suitably authorised to store POPs waste:
- deep underground hard rock formations
- salt mines
- hazardous waste landfill sites
You can only apply to do this at a hazardous waste landfill site if your waste is listed in Annex V, Part 2 of the POPs regulations. The levels of POPs must be below the concentration limits specified in the table in that Annex.
Veolia’s Minosus salt mine in Cheshire is currently the only site in the UK where you can permanently store certain wastes that contain POPs.
Email chemicalrestrictions@environment-agency.gov.uk to discuss other sites outside the UK.